Wide Range of Food and Drink at ‘Taste NY’ Harvest Fest This Weekend

More Than 60 NY Companies Will Offer Free Samples and Sales

A visit to the ‘Taste NY’ Harvest Fest Saturday and Sunday in the Horticulture Building at the New York State Fairgrounds will be a feast for your tastebuds. The festival features more than 60 New York State food and drink companies, offering free samples of high quality products. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The list of vendors shows companies from every corner of the state. Nineteen companies will offer samples of their wines, with twelve beer-makers also offering free tastings. Two firms will also offer samples of their vodkas, gins, or other spirits. Among the food offerings are several barbecue and hot sauces, relishes, mustards, chutneys, and other condiments. Festivalgoers will also find cookies, fudge, chocolates, peanut brittle, and dips. There will be products made from maple syrup, and sauces made from fresh tomatoes. There will be cheeses, cheese curds, olives, and sausages as well.

In addition, the Horticulture Building’s regular food vendor will offer a small menu of fall-themed food for sale, including pumpkin ravioli with sage butter sauce, mini-pork skewers with apple brandy glaze, and squash bisque with crème fraiche.

“I know people will not go away hungry from the ‘Taste NY Harvest Fest,” said Acting Commissioner of Agriculture James B. Bays. “I also believe people will leave here with brand new food and drink favorites. That’s what the Taste NY program is all about – exposing people to the wonderful products that New York companies grow and make.”

The event will also provide an opportunity for people to learn about New York’s wines. Jim Trezise of the New York Wine and Grape Foundation will conduct a free seminar at 1 p.m. Saturday to show people how to pair New York wines with cheeses and chocolates. At 3 p.m., Marty and Natalie Mattrazzo from FarmHouse Malt will discuss their journey into opening a craft brewery, where you can learn about growing malt barley for craft beer and malt production.

There will also be a free raffle for those who attend the event for a Taste NY Basket of Bounty, a basket full of great New York State food and drink products from the festival’s vendors. No purchase is necessary to enter this random drawing and the winner does not need to be present to win.

Ticket sales for the event are $15 for purchases made in advance or $20 at the door. Children age 12 and under are admitted free. To purchase in person or by phone, visit or call the State Fair administration building at 315-487-7711 during business hours weekdays, where the receptionist will complete the purchase. In addition, a form that can be faxed to the Fair is available on the Fair’s website, nysfair.org. Tickets purchased over the phone or by fax can be picked up at the reception desk during business hours, or can be picked up at the event, at the Will Call window. All admissionsinclude afree ‘Taste NY’ beer or wine glass with which to drink samples. People intending to sample alcoholic beverages will receive a wristband that certifies they are of legal drinking age.

Anyone presenting a ticket stub from Saturday’s Syracuse University football game will receive $5 off the $20 price of a ticket at the door.

Taste NY was launched by Governor Cuomo to highlight New York’s food and beverage industry, ultimately making the State’s wide variety of products readily available and recognizable to New York residents, tourists, and the world.
Taste NY is also a major component of the Governor’s $60 million tourism campaign – the largest such campaign in decades. The program publicizes New York-made food and beverage products via promotions such as Taste NY tents and pavilions at food and wine events and Taste NY stores and kiosks located at Thruway rest stops and soon at airports and other transportation hubs such as Grand Central Station. In 2013, Taste NY has already had a large presence at the PGA Tournament in Rochester and the Great New York State Fair in Syracuse.

The New York State Fair, operated by the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets, runs from August 21 – September 1, 2014. The Fair’s mission is to showcase the best of New York agriculture while providing top-quality entertainment.

In addition to the annual New York State Fair, the Fairgrounds host dozens of agricultural events throughout the year, including some of the Northeast’s most prestigious horse and livestock shows.